Performix Ripped

Remix: Nutrition

And Supplements

By Nayem KKC

Last updated: Aug 31, 2016

You've got a month of hard work ahead of you. Don't leave your recovery and performance up to chance with shoddy nutrition! Here's your complete plan to fuel yourself through Ripped Remix

NUTRITION/SUPPLEMENTATION OVERVIEW | PROGRAM OVERVIEW | GET STARTED

Ripped Remix isn't your average fat-loss program. Living up to these workouts, and sticking with them for a month straight, will develop both mental and physical capabilities you didn't know were within your reach. But the cost is that it will likely demand more of you than any program you've done before.

Making it to that final hybrid training session will demand a two-pronged approach focusing on a pair of often undervalued nutritional priorities: performance and recovery.

What does that mean in action? This is not a workout program to be paired with an intensive fat-loss diet. Now, that doesn't mean you should hit the nearest all-you-can-eat buffet. But if you keep your caloric intake at or slightly above maintenance level, you're likely to unleash some significant body composition changes in a short period of time.

Sure, the scale may not always reflect these changes, but good before and after pictures are worth a year's worth of weigh-ins.

Here's how to make the most of every meal during Ripped Remix.

PERFORMANCE NUTRITION FOR RIPPED REMIX WORKOUTS

This is an advanced training plan, and if you want to use it to achieve advanced-level results, counting calories and macros is pretty much a must. Yes, you can achieve solid results on a program like this without counting everything to the gram, but if your goal is what has been called "Vazquez-ularity" around the Bodybuilding.com office, it's time get out the food scale.

First, figure out your daily calorie goal to maintain your weight, which you can do with this caloric-intake calculator(select the "maintenance" option under the "activity level" section).

Once you know your daily caloric intake, it's time to set a specific number of grams for each macronutrient. I recommend addressing protein first, and then tackling carbs, beginning with the lower end of the spectrum. Finally, fill in the remaining calories with fat. Toggle each amount until you find an ideal number that not only keeps you near your maintenance calorie allotment, but one that compliments your palate and preferences. Here are the macros I recommend:

Protein: 0.9-1.0 grams per pound of body weight
Carbohydrates: 1.5-1.75 grams per pound of body weight
Fat: 0.3-0.4 grams per pound of body weight

Here's how those macros play out for two individuals:

200-Pound Individual

Maintenance calories: 2,540 calories per day
Protein: 180-200 grams per day
Carbohydrates: 300-350 grams per day
Fat: 60-80 grams per day
Calories: 2,460-2,920 calories per day

150-Pound Individual

Maintenance calories: 1,881 calories per day
Protein: 135-150 grams per day
Carbohydrates: 225-263 grams per day
Fat: 45-60 grams per day
Calories: 1,845-2,190 calories per day

Before diving into the program, I recommend you eat according to your new macros for at least one week (follow your previous lifting plan), while simultaneously tracking your weight a few days throughout. This is to ensure you're not entering the program in a gaping deficit.

Even at maintenance, though, the first week will be an adjustment period. You may feel fatigued, beat up, and unwilling to move. This is to be expected, since it will be a novel stimulus compared to what you're accustomed to.

If you notice this trend continue, however, it could be a sign that you simply aren't eating (or sleeping) enough. If this is the case, increase your daily calories by 10 percent via a combination of added carbs and fats.

On nontraining days, you can keep these the same, or if you're really looking to dial in your physique, cut calories by about 300 and carbs by about half. But if your recovery suffers as a result, stick to training-day nutrition throughout the month.

If your weight stays within plus or minus 1 pound, you're in a solid spot to start the program, and no further change is necessary at this time. However, if you drop a couple pounds, you'll want to increase calories by 10 percent—either carbs, fats, or a combination of the two. For instance, if you lose 2-3 pounds eating 2,500 calories per day during the first week, add 250 calories the following week.

Note: If you already have predetermined macros, still track 100 percent for a week to ensure they're indeed enough to support weight maintenance prior to beginning this workout.

"If it fits your macros" is all the rage at the moment, and I'm not going to tell you it doesn't work for a lot of people. I'll only say this: Prioritizing sugary crap and nutrient-poor fare will not help you maximize your performance or recovery on this plan. Good luck completing 3 sets of 25 of a box-jump-to-burpee combination 75 percent of the way into a Week 3 workout while running off of Skittles and Bagel Bites.

Of course, how you spend your macros is up to you, but here's my two cents. Most of your food choices should come from the list below.

Protein: chicken/turkey breast (without skin), pork tenderloin, lean beef (filet mignon, steak sirloin, flank steak, lean ground meats (90/10 or leaner), eggs (yolks and whites), fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, tilapia, cod), seafood, low-fat dairy (Greek yogurt, milk, cheese), whey and casein protein, soy (tofu, edamame, seitan).
High-Fiber Carbs: Vegetables, fruit, brown/wild rice, quinoa, whole-grain pasta/bread/tortillas, oats, beans, legumes, peas, corn, whole-grain cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
Low-Fiber Carbs*: White/jasmine rice, Fig Newtons, rice cakes, pretzels, crackers, low-fat/fiber granola bars (less than 3 grams of each), dried fruit, bananas.
Intra-Workout Carbs: Sports drink powders, dextrose, fruit juice.
Fat: Olive/canola/coconut oil, nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, avocado, olives.

*Low-fiber carbs digest quickly. You may benefit from choosing some of your carbs from these sources at either your pre- or post-workout meal in order to maximize fuel without the accompanying GI distress. See sample meal day below for an example.

It's okay if you miss the mark on a macro here or there. That's why I've provided you with a range: not only to promote flexibility, but to encourage you to listen to your body. If you feel the need for 25 more grams of carbs after a grueling total-body workout, have the damn carbs rather than starving yourself. However, do be careful that you're not consistently eating too little. This will jeopardize performance and recovery.

More than likely, you'll find yourself slightly increasing calories at some point during this four-week program. It's expected. Remember that this is not a rigorous dieting phase, and you need to prioritize fueling your muscles for the demands ahead.

NUTRITION BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER WORKOUTS

The workouts in this program are nonstop, high-rep, high-volume behemoths. But what's more, you will encounter a lot of demanding exercises you may be unfamiliar with. In order to safely and effectively get all of this done, it will require an unmatchable level of focus, willpower, and courage. Fortunately, I know a nutrient that provides fuel for both the brain and muscles: carbohydrates.

Remember that these are merely suggestions and a starting place. Find an ideal amount (and source) that works for you. Here are a few guidelines to enhance pre-workout fueling:

Have a pre-workout meal 2-3 hours before exercise. Get your carbs from high-fiber options.
The closer you eat to your workout, the less fiber you should have and the smaller your portions should be in an effort to minimize risk of GI distress.
For meals consumed less than 60 minutes prior to your workout, choose 25-50 grams (depending on your size and individual preferences) of a low-fiber, quick-digesting carb.

Carbohydrate Distribution

Pre-workout: 20-30 percent of daily carbs
Intra-workout: 5-10 percent of daily carbs
Post-workout: 20-30 percent of daily carbs

200-pound individual (350 grams of carbs per day)

Pre-workout: 70-105 grams
Intra-workout: 18-35 grams
Post-workout: 70-105 grams

150-pound individual (263 grams of carbs per day)

Pre-workout: 53-79 grams
Intra-workout: 13-26 grams
Post-workout: 53-79 grams

PERFORMANCE X FACTOR: INTRA-WORKOUT CARBS

Though not mandatory, consuming carbohydrates during a workout of this volume and intensity will help to combat fatigue and muscle damage so that you're able to maximize performance and recovery as the workouts pile up.

As your workout intensity increases, your body relies more heavily on carbohydrates for fuel. This translates to your body breaking down muscle glycogen into glucose, which rapidly flows through the blood and to your muscles to fuel contraction.

Your muscle glycogen levels, however, serve as a fuel barometer. And as levels are depleted, your body begins to signal fatigue, which can impair performance as you become mentally and physically exhausted. By choosing toconsume carbs during your workouts, you essentially provide another route for glucose to get to your muscles—via the glucose directly from the liquids you drink.

200-POUND INDIVIDUAL

Protein: 197 g
Carbohydrates: 349 g
Fat: 63 g
Calories: 2,751

SAMPLE DAY

MEAL 1

LARGE EGGS 2

EGG WHITES 4

BELL PEPPER, DICED 1 CUP

OATMEAL (MEASURED DRY) 1 CUP

Meal 1 Totals:

Protein: 37 g
Carbohydrates: 63 g
Fat: 16 g
Calories: 538

MEAL 2

WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD 2 SLICES

TURKEY DELI MEAT 6 OZ.

SWISS CHEESE 1 SLICE

CARROTS 3 OZ.

BANANA 1 LARGE

LOW-FIBER GRANOLA BAR 1 BAR

Meal 2 Totals:

Protein: 55 g
Carbohydrates: 104 g
Fat: 16 g
Calories: 736

INTRA-WORKOUT

SHAKE 25 GRAMS OF CARBS

MEAL 3

WHEY PROTEIN 1 SCOOP

PLAIN BAGEL 1 LARGE

HONEY 2 TBSP

Meal 3 Totals:

Protein: 33 g
Carbohydrates: 90 g
Fat: 2 g
Calories: 430

MEAL 4

STEAK SIRLOIN 6 OZ.

BROWN RICE (MEASURED COOKED) 1 CUP

BROCCOLI, STEAMED 1 CUP

Meal 4 Totals:

Protein: 43 g
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Fat: 13 g
Calories: 487

MEAL 5

GREEK YOGURT, PLAIN 1 CUP

PEANUT BUTTER 2 TBSP

Meal 5 Totals:

Protein: 29 g
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Fat: 16 g
Calories: 320

150-POUND INDIVIDUAL

Protein: 149 g
Carbohydrates: 242 g
Fat: 45 g
Calories: 1,969